Friday, 9 October 2015

JUST IN: Tribunal Annuls Election of Senator Kashamu

The National and state Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital has cancelled the election of a Buruji Kasahamu, Naij.com can authoritatively report.

In his ruling, Justice Ebiowei Tobi led tribunal ordered re-run in 110 polling units.Kashamu, who is representing Ogun East Senatorial District at the senate and the APC candidate, Prince Dapo Abiodun, had approached the tribunal to challenge the election result.

While delivering the judgment this afternoon, Justice Tobi Ebimowei disclosed that there are some irregularities,some anomalies, added that, some of them have been proved while some are not proved.

He further stated that in some areas where the petitioner have been laid claims to,the tribunal said the petitioner counsel has not been able to proof to be fundamental and substantial.

Ebimowei disclosed that only Ijebu Ode local government area is the only local government out of the nine in Ogun East that election results were not cancelled because the irregualrities are not much.

“We have to cancelled in other local government because they are much more anomalirs and irregularities in local government like Ijebu North,Ijebu East,Sagamu,Ikenne and Odogbolu,”the judge posited.

He however stated that having perused all the evidences before the tribunal,37,008 votes are hereby declared unlawful on grounds of proved irregularities.

Ebimowei also said the total valid and lawful votes for the first respondent after the deduction and adjustment is now 75,856 compared to 99,540 declared by INEC.

On the part of the petitioner, total valid votes os 70,677 compared to 84,001 recorded by INEC, added that the margin win votes is just 5,179.

Picture from the National and State Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Abeokuta, Ogun state today.

“The first respondent dos not score enough votes to be able to declared him winner,comparing the margin win vote to total votes of 37,008 that are invalid.

“For avoidance of doubt,we cannot cancelled the whole Senatorial election because of that and the margin of win is just 5,179 votes,it is not enough to declare him winner.

“The election is nullify in line with Section 140 (2) and 140 (3), but in this regard,we are looking at 140 (2). We hereby order fresh election in the affected polling unit, we do nit feel comfortable to nullify election in Ogun East Senatorial District.

“The electionof the first respondent is hereby set aside as Senator representing Ogun East District and ordered that 3rd respondent conduct a fresh election into the oolling units which elections have been cancelled and in doing that, must take cognisance of the lawful votes,”he declared.

The tribunal affirmed that the valid votes of 146,533 be aside while results from the 110 polling units that was called fresh election will be added to the already valid votes.